Niyakap niya ang sarili. Hindi niya alam kung hanggang kailan siya magiging ganito. It’s been three days since Hercules left her and the tears never stopped from falling. There were times she just hugs herself at night because her heart is in too much pain and she didn’t know how to hold herself up. And just like when Lemuel left her for Wynona, she cried hard in her mother’s arms. But unlike before, nothing could seem to soothe the pain she feels inside. The hollow inside is so big that every breath hurts and moving on seems the most difficult thing in the world to do.

Kahit sa mismong silid niya, naaalala niya ito. Hercules stayed that night she asked him to stay. Looking back, she wished she just asked for him to stay forever. Maybe they had a chance… but Hercules really left her. It just hurts so much knowing that she didn’t matter to him at all. He just left without even hearing her out. And he’s together with his ex-girlfriend. They might even got married now. Gumuhit ang pait sa dibdib niya sa naisip. She needs to move on now. Pero hindi niya alam kung papaano. Nakagat niya ang labi para pigilan ang hikbi. Letting go of the love she felt for Hercules is tearing her apart. She wonders how long can she endure this… this piercing pain that seemed to be triggered everytime she breathes. She hardly sleeps at night thinking how will she able to get through every tomorrow.

Umiling siya. Niyapos niya ulit ng mahigpit ang dalaga. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you. I was too hurt. Too damn jealous. I was losing my mind that time after what I saw and heard.”

“Sana sinabi mo,” anitong gumaralgal ang tinig. “I thought you were mad when I told you I love you. I thought you can’t just love me back that’s why you left. I thought you’re back with your ex. I was going crazy with all those thoughts, Hercules,” anitong impit na napahikbi.

It’s too much. Kinabig niya ito at buong pagmamahal itong hinalikan. Her tears is breaking him apart. Niyakap niya ito ng mahigpit. This is what he needs. He loves her so much and it hurts him more now seeing how hurt she is for loving him. How could he do that to the only woman he loves?

THIS isn’t a dream. Kumbinsi ni Jane sa sarili habang yakap-yakap at buong-pusong tumutugon sa bawat halik at haplos ng binata. Hercules is kissing her like he missed her as much as she missed him. Kapwa sila naghahabol ng hininga nang maghiwalay ang mga labi. She can’t help her tears but fall. She just loves Hercules so much.

Gumanti siya ng yakap. Nang angkinin nitong muli ang labi niya’y hindi siya tumutol. She missed him so much, too. No words could ever describe how much. All she knows is that she doesn’t want to let him go. She will never let him go.

When the kiss ended they were both in tears. Something tugged Jane’s heart. It must’ve been hard for Hercules after what Wynona could’ve told him.

“I was damn too hurt to even think of anything else, Jane. I was in so much pain after what I saw. A huge part of me is hoping against hope that Wynona was lying. I never want to believe in that. But that is the one closest to reality. Because I never thought you’d love me. And that was painful, Jane. That was really painful.”

Her heart sank as she saw the pain in his eyes. And she found herself sobbing, not because of the hurt she feels for herself but for what Hercules had been through. Hercules loves her.

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa. She could feel his anger. She just wants to savor this moment being held by him. She felt coming back into life when she saw him. “I’m so glad you’re back.” aniyang sumiksik sa dibdib nito. She missed this kind of comfort only Hercules can give her.

“I just can’t bear to lose you,” anitong nakatitig sa mukha niya. “You are the best there is in my life,Jane. So I took the risk of coming back. I’ve always longed to be with you. Since the first day we met… when we were yet young. I have loved you. And I never stopped loving you since then. And I don’t wanna stop. I can bear the pain of loving you, but living without you is impossible. Not now that I knew how it felt to be really alive being with you.”

Unti-unti lumabo ang paningin niya. That’s why all those scenes were familiar. Napatingin siya kay Hercules. May payatot na binatang nandoon palagi kasama ng crush niya. Si Ace ang matinee idol ng school na crush ng lahat ng girls at gays sa school. She used to follow where Ace goes. And now she remembers, that time they showed off skateboarding, napapalakpak siya sa galing ni Ace. At nang ang payatot na binata na’y hindi na niya masyadong napansin. Nabaling lang ang pansin nila nang bumagsak ito at dumugo ang baba nang tumama sa sementadong daan. She just felt sorry for him and didn’t bother to give him a second look dahil takot siya sa dugo. And during that karate try out, napapalakpak siya dahil si Ace ang nagpatumba sa payatot na binata na ka-sparring nito. He was rushed to the hospital and she cared less. And during that cheerdance, they were so happy they won. Ace was the star player then, she never took time who’s inside the mascot. Sumikip ang dibdib niya. Tila hindi niya makayanan ang sakit na nararamdaman ng dibdib niya. Hercules had gone through so much pain loving her. She wished she had noticed him way back then… because she right now, she felt so sorry for the times she wasn’t able to spend with him.

Bumalong ang luha sa mga mata niya. She threw herself on him and hugged him tight. And she cried so hard in his arms. She remembered the night he proposed and the night he confessed his love for his first love. His life almost revolved around her. It’s not a coincidence that he knew a lot about her. So he wasn’t pretending, was he? Those kisses, the warm hugs, those were real. Those ‘I love yous’. The proposal. Everything was real after all. And she felt that pain she felt when Hercules confessed her feelings for his first love. Tila pinipiga ang puso niya sa sinabi nito. Hearing Hercules now, her hurt seemed nothing compared to what he feels. He had loved her for so long. So very long. That’s why he knew her favorite flower and her favorite chocolate. That’s why he seemed to have known her for so long… because he did knew her by heart.

“Yeah, but you never said you love me! You always made me feel that you didn’t like me. That it’s impossible for you to love me because I’m just a pretty face. Na kahit anong gawin ko, hindi mo ako magugustuhan. That I am nothing but a woman after your ten million. I even begged for you to love me Hercules. But you left me! Do you know how I felt that night? I felt rejected! Pakiramdam ko naghahabol ako sa isang taong takbo ng takbo! How in the world would I know?”

“I stopped because I couldn’t do it… Because I took advantage of you. I love you so much that I didnt want you to make decisions you would regret. Do you know how hard was that? Do you have any idea how painful was that?” Nahilamos nito ang mukha pagkuwa’y napatitig sa kanya. “All my life, all I ever wanted was love you. I’ve dreamed of kissing you, of making love to you. But I just didn’t do it because I wasn’t sure about your feelings for me. I don’t want you to hate me. That’s why I stopped. Even when I wanted to kill myself after that.”

“Tighter.” aniya at sumandal sa dibdib nito. Niyakap siya ito ng buong higpit at umiyak siya sa dibdib nito. Hercules loves her like no other man can or could ever do. She felt the kind of happiness that is so rare she just wants to cry. She’s so happy and so sad for all that Hercules went through just because of loving her. “I’m so sorry for all the pains I’ve caused you,” aniyang hinaplos ang mukha nito. “It was not easy loving me, was it?”

“It wasn’t easy but you don’t need to be sorry. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Jane. You made me feel that kind of happiness that I never felt for anyone. You are worth every emotion. My life had its full worth when I started to love you. And I loved every moment of it.”

Ngumiti siya. Muling tumulo ang luha. “I wished I had met you when I was younger. I wished I realized that soon that I was in love with you. Because I feel the same way, Hercules. I never thought I could feel an emotion as strong as this. I wished I’ve loved you before because this feeling I am feeling right now is something worth keeping forever. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. I’ve come to realize that my life won’t be complete without you so please, promise me you won’t ever leave me again.” Hinawakan niyang muli ang mukha nito. And she could smile staring at the most handsome face she wants to stare forever. “I love you so much.”

Hercules’ eyes were misty. Nanginginig ang labi nitong tinitigan ang dalaga. Those were the loveliest words he heard in his whole life. “I love you more, Jane. Yesterday, today and every tomorrow, I know my love will remain the same. You don’t know how you made me happy today. I’m so glad I came back. I thought anywhere far from you would be better. But I felt like hell. I couldn’t stand being away from you. Missing you was one thing I don’t want to go through again. I promise I will never leave you. I won’t let anyone come between us anymore. I will always believe in you no matter what happens.”

She’s ready for it. He’s all that she wants and all she’ll ever need. Ibinigay niya ang kamay.

For Hercules, this moment is a dream come true. And he will treasure the woman that he loves in his heart for always.

The moment they held hands, they both knew they will hold hands forever.

***THE END***

Dearest Readers,

Thank you so much for the time you have spent for reading Hercules and Jane’s love story. Sana na-inlove kayo kahit papaano. Salamat sa nag-give up ng gils para lamang mabasa ang kuwentong ito. Sa mga naghintay every chapter, sorry if hindi ko kayo napagbigyan kahit bumaha na ng ‘pleaseee next chap na please!’ may schedule po kasi tayong sinusunod kaya ipagpaumanhin ninyo kung nabitin kayo ng ilang araw. I know how hard it is to wait. I just hope this was worth every wait. At sa mga walang sawang nagbibigay ng komento. It makes me smile reading all your comments. Kung nag-aabang kayo ng next chapter, nag-aabang ako ng comments. Every writer hopes for nice feedbacks, but it is so much better if they are honest feedbacks. So don’t hesitate giving out your comments. It makes us feel happy and fulfilled, it makes us grow and become better.

This story is actually a risk. It’s a different one. Dahil kailanman, wala pang bidang pangit. Pangit talaga si Hercules. But Jane fell in love with him. Because Beauty isn’t everything, LOVE IS. Ganoon kasimple, at ganoon kalalim. What you see beyond ones’ appearance is what mattered most. I also believe that all of us are created beautiful. May more at most beautiful nga lang, but all of us are beautiful. Kaya hindi imposible ang storyang ito na mangyari sa totoong buhay.

So much for that, I wanna thank my TOP family for allowing me to post another story. They have always believed in me and I am so grateful for each opportunity to share my stories. Sana patuloy ninyong suportahan ang TOP.